Biblical pest invades Russia’s south

An emergency has been declared across several regions of southern Russia because of an insect. Swarms of locusts have invaded the area, putting the harvest in serious danger.

Five regions in the south have reported locust outbreaks, though the Volgograd region is suffering most. The source may be Kazakhstan. A severe locust infestation there is threatening food shortages and all wheat exports have been banned.

In Volgograd region attention is focused on how to get rid of the insects. Just 420 hectares have been treated with pesticides and there are no regional funds to fight the locusts.

Funds for pesticides have been promised, but help is needed right now. Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture has promised money to buy more chemicals and pesticides, but no one knows when that will arrive.